Durham organ donor meets South Carolina recipient at double-marathon

Durham resident Jerry Hoyt, left, and South Carolina resident Adrian Silva pose for a picture at mile 45 of the San Francisco Marathon. After donating a kidney to Silva in January, Hoyt completed the 52.4 mile double marathon as a fundraiser for the National Kidney Foundation.

SAN FRANCISCO &GT;&GT; First at the starting line and again at the finish, after 52.4 miles of near-continuous pavement pounding, Jerry Hoyt couldn't imagine a more welcome sight than Adrian Silva.

Were it not for Hoyt, the 44-year-old South Carolina resident would not have been there Sunday. He may not have been around at all.

Nearly 6 1/2 months earlier, Hoyt underwent surgery to donate his kidney to Silva, who at the time was a complete stranger. But the two connected via phone during their recoveries and formed a bond beyond their matching kidneys.

They've been talking frequently via phone and the Internet for months but Silva went the extra step last week to fly to California to support Hoyt as he ran the San Francisco Double Marathon as a fundraiser for the National Kidney Foundation. It was their first time meeting in person but the connection was instantaneous.

"When we were hanging out, he said 'You're my brother from another mother,'" Silva said. "I just went to tears."

Before his January transplant, Silva had been on dialysis for two years and the treatment was a 4 1/2-hour battle, three days a week. So drained from the procedure, he was frequently exhausted and could not work.

"I would not wish that on anyone," he said. "I thought I was going to be on dialysis for the rest of my life."

Hoyt, 55, is a longtime blood donor who one day three years ago was listening to the radio when he heard about a coach who gave his kidney to an athlete. He couldn't think of any reason why not to do the same.

The requirements were relatively simple — he had to be healthy and not overweight — and after the required screenings, all he had to do was wait for a match. Thanks to Silva's neighbor, who donated one on his behalf because they were not a match, and other stranger donors, they were part of an eight-person donation chain.

Both healed quickly, and while Hoyt physically cannot tell he's short one kidney, the new organ has made a world of difference for Silva, who feels like he has his life back. Hoyt laughed when he admitted the two men both compared scars upon meeting.

"It is really neat. We are very different," he said. "He's a big black man and I'm a little white guy but it doesn't make any difference."

It was important to Silva to support Hoyt along his marathon course.

"It's something he's been planning for some time and he finally got a chance to go through with it," Silva said. "I wanted to be there when he started and I wanted to be there when he finished."

Hoyt started running at midnight in a small group of 51 double-marathoners. The first 26.2-mile course took him 4 hours and 45 minutes, and he started to run-walk at the end, mentally and physically challenged.

"At the end of the first loop, I thought, how am I going to make it through another time?'" he said.

He persisted and then felt a burst of encouragement at mile 45 when he saw his wife and the Silvas. He finished the second marathon in 6 hours, raising more than $12,000 for the National Kidney Foundation.

This week, Hoyt expressed profuse gratitude to all who supported him along the way, both financially and on the course. In a different way, Silva also marveled at the support, especially all those who rallied for the National Kidney Foundation.

He was happy to do his part by volunteering at a nutrition station, passing out gel packets to passing runners.

"The first person that grabbed that GU outta my hand, something went through me — like I was supposed to be there helping somebody," he said. "I just had a feeling that I've never had before, like I'm doing something for somebody else."

For Silva, volunteering was a way of giving back for the gift of life. He was honored to be there with his wife, Patti, who is now considering being a donor, and two of their five children.

As a recipient, he tried to explain the significance of his transplant and why people should consider it.

"You are helping someone live again ... If I could, I would do it in a heartbeat," he said.

Hoyt's spirit of giving continues. He's pushing to be a liver donor but in case that doesn't work out, he starts plasma donations this week.

"My desire is to be Christ-like, just to give, give what I can," he said. "It feels good to help other people."

Hoyt also encourages others to consider donation. If an organ isn't possible, other options are blood or supporting causes like the National Kidney Foundation financially.

"It feels really good to give," he said. "I think giving brings much more joy to life than selfishness."